Success!

After ten long years, I am finally a college graduate!!!! *HAPPY DANCE!!!!

I just got word from the dean of my department that I have satisfied the requirements for the B. Mus. degree I have been seeking for the last ten years of my life. It feels so, so good, and I'm proud that I went back and earned what was rightfully mine!

I am living proof that you can have/be/do/become whatever you want. Nothing is impossible!

My life just keeps getting better and better and better. I'm heading to the mall tomorrow for some much needed winter clothing. By this time next week I will be done with organic chemistry. I leave my job in two weeks (YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!). AND...I relocate to the snow covered hills in a month! Sweet! I'm sure gonna miss my family, especially my hubby and puppy. I wish I could take them with me, but I know they must stay behind. I really do want the cop to further his career and focus on his own goals. He's so smart and so loving. It's time he does some soul searching and figure out how to go about advancing to where he needs to be, and I am in total support of him and of his goals.

Well, one more night off then it's back to work. I love Sundays...I usually cook a nice meal, spend two hours or so doing my hair, go visit family, and lounge around the house. Maybe I'll finish off that bottle of Riesling!

Too Damn Cold

The cop and I just returned from apartment shopping up north. It snowed the entire time. All I have to say is I hope I can acclimate quickly to a much colder climate.

Anyone who knows me knows I can't stand being cold. I guess I should have taken that into consideration before I applied to this one PA program. Common sense should have told me that if I plan to move north, I'm gonna be cold most of the time. Damn it. Oh well! I'm hoping I'll be on the move so much, I won't even notice how cold it is. I may even come to like it...maybe.

We had a great time up there. This was the cop's first time setting foot on my campus, and I hadn't been there since my interview over a year ago. And yes, we secured an apartment! It's absolutely perfect for me: spacious, clean, secure, affordable, and only 2 minutes away from campus. I'm looking forward to moving in.

My main focus now is making sure the cop is well taken care of while I'm away. He's a good cook, and a great housekeeper. I just hope he actually does these things while I'm gone. I don't think he'll have a choice! I sure will miss him and Linc, and my family. All of them have been so supportive. Well, it's getting down to the wire. Christmas is almost here. O-Chem is almost done. I'll begin my journey to competent medical practice sooner than I realize.

A Year in Review

So, I've been blogging a little over a year now! How cool is that?

I love lists! I'm always writing them, revising them, and re-writing them to make them better than the last. Lists help you to stay organized, and they keep you on track. It's an easy way to outline your goals, and to be sure you are meeting them. I recall this time last year that I blogged about my goals for this year. Here is a list of those goals:

1. Finish my degree: I can do this one of two ways. Either transfer the credits or go back to my alma mater and spend a sememster there. I would prefer the former, but at this point, NOTHING is gonna stop me from getting that worthless, useless piece of paper.

2. Finish my last two prerequisite courses: both are chemistry courses. I think I will do just fine with this.

3. Gain meaningful healthcare experience: I have 500+ hours under my belt so far, but as you all know, my goal is to work in a hospital setting where I can utilize my critical thinking skills and learn simple procedures.

4. Learn as many simple procedures on my own in the meantime: Any courses I can take to learn skills will be a huge benefit to me (ie. phlebotomy next Friday!!!!!)

5. Learn to read simple Chest radiographs: I LOVE reading xrays. To me, this is a really important goal. I want to be able to look at a shadow and tell if it's abnormal or not...then go from there.

6. Learn how to read EKG's: Yes...this was something that was suggested to me. Once you have a really solid reference, EKG's make a whole lot of sense. Not too difficult. Once you know the basics, it's all about reading often so you don't loose the skill.

In retrospect, I can honestly say I have done all of the above! My undergraduate degree has been completed (thank you God), in two weeks I will complete my last prerequisite course, I have secured a great hospital-based job, and this job has exposed me to many procedures (central lines, A lines, ventriculostomies, phlebotomy, IV insertion, foley insertion), I know how to read and interpret simple chest radiographs, AND I'm pretty darn good at reading EKG's.

I'm impressed, if I do say so myself!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Not much out of the ordinary happened around here. The cop and I both worked Thanksgiving night, but were rewarded with a three day weekend! I went salsa dancing last night (yes!!!), and we both head back to work tomorrow night. There's still plenty of food around here, but I'm starting to get tired of turkey and dressing. There's only so much I can eat...

The start of PA school is looming. On Friday we travel north to go apartment shopping! I'm hoping to secure something while I'm there. That would be one less thing to worry about. So far, all is going according to plan. O-Chem is going extremely well, and I'm slowly crossing some bare necessities off of the shopping list. Next week, I submit my resignation at work. Only one more month to go and I'm outta here.

I can honestly say this is the best time of my life right now. I'm realizing dreams I've had for years. Everything is falling into place just as I intended. I couldn't be happier!

Orientation Packets are in!

I need a break from O-Chem...


So, the long awaited orientation packets are in. All I have to say is wow! I've been so focused on the studying, the classes, and volume of material I'll be learning that I forgot all the preliminary stuff that must be done before I can even set foot into my first class. Name tags, medical history forms, physical examinations, parking permits, medical equipment, background checks...I still have LOTS to do before I leave for PA school.

Not to mention I still have to secure an apartment. I think that is the least of my worries for right now. My main concerns are completing this chemistry course, getting all my undergrad stuff done, and packing. I have decided to submit my resignation at work on the first of December. That should give them plenty of time to find a replacement. I've also decided my departure date: January 14! I'm so ready to get this party started!!!

My goal for this blog once school begins is to take the readers along with me as I go through this process. Most pre-PA students live vicariously through those that are actually experiencing PA school. I know that's what I did. My favorite blogs were always the ones that made me feel like I was experiencing what the author was experiencing. I want this blog to serve the same purpose for my readers. I plan on debuting this blog in January once school starts.

Where has the time gone?

It's been a month since my last post! Goodness...where does the time go? Life has been busy, but not that busy. I've been having the time of my life, though!

Finally...FINALLY... we are working three twelve hour shifts at work. No more driving to work five days a week. No more 8-hour shifts. I finally have a life outside of work. The cop and I finally have time to go out and enjoy one another. And...I can go salsa dancing more often. Yesssss!! Most importantly, I have time to complete my Organic chemistry assignments. Speaking of which, I should be doing homework right now. Three weeks in, and I'm already on chapters 8 and 9. This Thursday I begin chapters 10 and 11, and I take my midterm this weekend! Talk about determination!

It seems everyday I'm receiving some sort of correspondence from PA school. I am looking to receive my orientation packet this week, and I have already registered for the first round of classes. 7 classes totaling 16 credits! Bring...it...on! Because of O-Chem, I've had to take a break from brushing up on Anatomy and Physiology, but I think I got a lot out of the little I did review. I mainly focused on Neuroanatomy and Physiology, which has always been a weak point for me. I feel like I have a better mental picture (no pun intended) of the brain, spinal cord, and PNS. I never thought I'd be interested in it, but I guess that was only because I didn't understand it. At this point, I don't see myself specializing in Neurology. It's interesting, no doubt, but not that interesting.

I am approximately 8-9 weeks away from leaving my entire family behind and moving to a strange, new section of the country. It's finally starting to sink in. I won't lie; the thought of PA school is starting to scare me, and I often ask myself what I've gotten into here. But I know that nothing worth having is easy, and I've worked so hard to get to where I am. I truly love medicine, I love people, and I love challenges. This career path has my name written all over it.

Well, time to hit the books again. I hope to write again very soon.

We're Back!

Hey folks! The cop and I made it back from Costa Rica in one piece. What an experience: two whole weeks of roosters crowing at 5 in the morning, having howler monkeys as your alarm clock, being surrounded by beautiful flora and unfamiliar, majestic fauna, having fresh gallo pinto and mango juice for breakfast every morning, zip lining through the treetops..not to mention the friendly people, the language, the music, the culture! Needless to say we had a great time. I am officially ready for PA school!

While we were away, I received an email from my program director informing me that orientation packets would be mailed out soon. How exciting. I still have a few things to accomplish before I can matriculate: I have to submit my final transcripts for the two music courses I've completed (I got an A in both classes...awesome!!!), and apply for my undergraduate degree; I have to complete Organic Chemistry; I have to submit all final transcripts to complete my PA admissions file.

Am I getting excited about starting PA school? Yes, of course. I just don't like being this close to the deadline with all these outstanding requirements. I wish I would have taken O-chem sooner, but I couldn't. I know things will be complete by the end of the year, but it's a bit too close for comfort for me. As long as it all gets done, that's all that matters. My main focus for the remainder of the year is successfully completing the O-chem course, and applying for my undergraduate degree.

Work continues to be a challenge. We have lots of interesting cases coming in, and I'm still learning a lot. It gets frustrating, though, when you can't participate in the conversations about patients and their condition, even if you are familiar with the disease process and prognosis. It's frustrating when a nurse refers to a patient that we both have as "her patient"......"SLP, did you get my patient's blood glucose reading? Can you get my patient a pillow and an apple juice?" I don't mind the work, but I can't stand this attitude of ownership. The nurses don't look at me as a part of the team. They look at me as an extra set of hands, and I guess that's what my job description is. It's hard focusing on the job I have now when I know that in less than 3 months the level of responsibility will increase tremendously. It's scary and exciting all at once. One PA-C gave me some great advice when I first started in the ICU. He told me to remember that I'm not a PA yet; I am an ICU tech and I must work in that capacity only. He told me to use my time wisely by reading charts and keeping notes of diseases I see, their clinical manifestations, treatment options, and drugs used for that disease. I try to do this daily.

Well, not much else to report. I realize this blog gets no visitors because I haven't told anyone about it. I'm looking to debut this blog on the PA forum in January when school starts.